Roberto De Zerbi hit out at Aston Villa time-wasting as Albion went down at the Amex. The head coach was booked for his complaints as Villa protected a precious 2-1 lead. He offered more veiled criticism of two penalty decisions. Danny Ing scored from the spot to cancel out Alexis Mac Allister’s first-minute opener. Villa were protecting a lead given them by a deflected Ings shot when Lucas Digne appeared to foul Solly March.
Roberto De Zerbi said: “If the games are 90 minutes, during the 90 minutes you have to play, you can’t play 45 or 44 minutes. To lose is not a big problem. It is not a big problem to lose one game like with Villa we lost, but I would like to play normal time. Not 90 minutes because it is not normal to play for 90 minutes but maybe 60 minutes no? Yes, a lot of wasting time. Too much wasting time. I thought before I came to work in the Premier League. I thought in the Premier League the people were correct, also in Italy, also in Latin countries, but it is not like this. I think the referee had to control the game. This work is his work. Not my work, not my players’ work, not our fans work. For this situation I was angry and frustrated.”
VAR Jarred Gillet reviewed the incident involving March.
Roberto De Zerbi said: “About this particular situation, I don’t like to speak or like to focus, but you have to watch again. Both penalties. First for Villa and second for us, because also, the first penalty it is not so clear.”
